AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You just wanted me to take my top off. Admit it.”
“Hhhmmmm, I mean, I won’t complain about seeing you half naked holding a baby.”
I opened my eyes, giggling at the sound of them, but then my eyes widened. “Why does it look like we’re in a baby store?”
“I googled what we needed. It’s a lot, Sunshine,” Dawson answered.
The room was filled with piles of baby clothes, blankets, tiny hats, and diapers. There was a buggy, a car seat, boxes filled with a sterilizer, bottles, a baby monitor, and other things I couldn’t make out. There was a change bag, pacifiers and… “Okay, who bought the giant teddy?” It was almost as huge as Marshall and filled the corner of the room.
“What? He’s cute. She loves him, don’t you, little sparrow?” Fox laughed. “By the way, she loves my new name for her too. We can’t keep calling her the baby.”
I took Fox in, holding her like she was the most precious thing in the world, and happiness clogged my throat before it was replaced by panic. “We have to try to get this all home. Shit. Are we allowed to fly home? What about work… what are we going to do?”
Dawson stepped closer. “I’ve extended our stay at the villa for a month while you recover and we learn how to change a diaper without it taking three of us, Sophia is taking over your work, you have a team, it’s time to start delegating. Archer and Charlie can handle any band stuff without me or Fox. Fern is stepping in for me now Addi is back from her parental leave and Marshall has taken some time off too.”
“You organized everything. Thank you, Daddy.”
“Nope, that name has lost all its S-E-X appeal.” The look of horror on Dawson’s face had us all bursting into fits of laughter.
Dawson
Iwatchedthemallsleep, Lea in bed, wrapped around Fox while Marshall sat in a chair near the door as if he was protecting us. And there in the glass crib was a tiny person who looked surprisingly like me.
I leaned in and stroked my finger down her cheek. I’d watched Marshall and Fox hold her like it was second nature, but I was worried she’d freak out in my arms, hating everything about me.
I sucked in a breath and lifted her slowly, waiting for the cry, but it didn’t come. I lifted her up to rest against my shoulder, breathing in her baby scent.
“Hi, I’m your daddy. Well, there are three of us, so we’ll drive you mad with how overprotective we are of you. And then there’s your mummy who is amazing. I have to tell you, though, I have a thing that makes opening up about my feelings hard. I’ve never even told them I love them. I do, but we can keep that as our little secret.”
She looked up at me like I had all the answers. I’d never been able to read people, but with her, it felt like I could tell everything she was thinking. She trusted me, she’d come to me for comfort and love and bad advice. I blew out a breath as a giant tear rolled down my cheek and landed on her tiny pink onesie and I hated how my pain was staining her innocence.
“I will love you for a lifetime,” I whispered, and they were the easiest words I’d ever spoken.
“I heard that, Daw, and now you’ve said it, you can’t unsay it. By the way, that was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Shush, Bunny. You’ll wake everyone up.”
“Already awake, Dawson. I knew you loved us and now I want to hear you say it every day and not just to Sparrow,” Marshall mumbled from his chair. “And if it makes it easier, I’m telling you to.”
I smiled gratefully at his words. “You know that always makes it easier.”
“I love you too, Dawson. I’m glad we got high and ended up with questionable tattoos, forcing us to be together.”
“Sugar, tiny ears are listening, and I think we need a better origin story to tell little sparrow when she grows up.”
“All she needs to know is the best words her mum ever said were,share me.”
Epilogue 1 – later that day
Lea
“Hey,you.Well,youmight be worth missing Disneyland for. But you have to promise that when you’re older, you’re going to let Uncle Charlie take you the first time you want to go.” I laughed as he took her hand in his and shook it gently.
She looked tiny in his huge arms, but I had to admit, the man suited a baby.
“A story leaked last night. Fern is dealing with it, but there is a lot of press outside. Matt’s sending us some extra security just to be safe.”
I smiled and nodded, knowing all three of them would protect her with their lives.
